Mathew B. Tully, Esq.

Founding Partner

Mathew B. Tully is one of Tully
Rinckey PLLC’s two founding partners. In 2004, Mat worked with fellow Hofstra
alum and Founding Partner Greg T. Rinckey to
establish the foundation of what is today Tully Rinckey PLLC – a full service
law firm with offices spanning from the East Coast of the United States to the West.
Mat partners with Greg on the strategic planning and law practice management of
the firm. Together, they create and implement innovative business initiatives
that continue to expand Tully Rinckey PLLC into new markets and practice
areas.

Mat is one of a small number of attorneys licensed to practice law in three different Countries. He is an Attorney and Counselor at Law in New York State and is on the rolls of Solicitors before the Supreme Court of England and Wales as well as being on the rolls of Solicitors in the Republic of Ireland.

As a practicing attorney, Mat focuses on the representation of military personnel and federal government
sector employees. He has represented federal employees before
such federal agencies as the MSPB, EEOC, and OSC and in court
before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Armed Forces. Mat also has a thriving appellate practice where he is one of a small number of attorneys alive today who have argued and won before the highest Court in New York State (the New York State Court of Appeals) as well as had a Writ of Certiorari granted and a remand ordered by the Supreme Court of the United States amongst many other appellate victories in various Appellate Courts.

Before launching his legal career, Mat served for three years in
the U.S. Army as a field artillery officer. After suffering from military
discrimination at the hands of his civilian employer, Mat received his Juris
Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the New
York Army National Guard, Mat has chosen to dedicate his legal career to
protecting and preserving the rights of his fellow veterans and reservists. In 2012, Mat received the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained during a suicide bombing while serving in Afghanistan. His service there also afforded him the Bronze Star. His most recent deployment to Afghanistan marked the third time since founding the firm that Mat left his business to selflessly serve the nation. After nearly two decades of service, Mat retired from the military in May 2014.

On Sept. 11, 2001, while employed in the legal department of
Morgan Stanley, Mat escaped from the World Trade Center and shortly thereafter
relocated to Upstate New York. There, in his ski home, he began providing legal
services to his friends and former colleagues who were facing the same
discrimination he had. The firm quickly outgrew his home and, with the addition
of a partner in 2004, Tully Rinckey PLLC opened an office in Albany, N.Y. As a
result of success within the federal employment and military law
sectors, the firm then expanded into Washington, D.C.

Mat has become a pioneer in the field of USERRA litigation,
winning several landmark cases, which have greatly influenced the laws
protecting United States veterans. His leadership in military law is reflected
in his role as a syndicated columnist for the Army Times. Mat is also
frequently asked by local and national media outlets to offer his legal
commentary on military matters. Most recently, he has been featured in the
Washington Post and on CNN. In October of 2007, Mat testified in front of the
U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs regarding his criticism of and
recommendations to USERRA. He provided his knowledge of laws protecting
veterans again in February of 2008 in front of the House Committee on Veterans'
Affairs.

In 2005, Mat was deployed to Iraq with the 42nd Infantry
"Rainbow" Division and was based at Forward Operating Base Danger in
Tikrit, Iraq. As division chief of operations, he was responsible for the
organization and implementation of the military's security and stability
operations in Saddam Hussein's hometown. Mat returned to the firm in 2006 but
was deployed for a second time in October of 2007. During his deployment to
Egypt, Mat conducted a series of exercises in support of "Operation Bright
Star," which works to enhance the relationship between the United States
and the Middle East.

In 2008, Mat graduated from the National Security Space
Institute. The NSSI is the Department of Defense's premier institute for
training service members to support military operations and advance U.S.
national security interests. Upon graduating, he received the Air Force Space
Medal, which certified him as a space professional.

He went on to complete the Army Space Operations
Officer Qualifications Course making him Army Functional Area 40 qualified. Mat
is also a retired supervisory
federal law enforcement officer and is a qualified “retired
law enforcement officer” under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA)

Mat was raised in Massapequa Park, NY but has lived in South
Korea, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Brooklyn, NY. He currently lives in New
York with his family.

Case Victories

Mathew B. Tully - Jose D. Hernandez v. Dept of the Air Force - Obtained appeal decision from the Merit Systems Protection Board that the board should overturn its original decision and could adjudicate claims of USERRA violations prior to the statute’s enactment in 1994. Jose D. Hernandez, a retired aircraft mechanic for the Air Force contended he was erroneously charged for leave time from 1980 to 2001. Hernandez was granted the petition and the original decision was vacated.

Mathew B. Tully - Pucilowski v. Department of Justice - Alexander F. Pucilowski Jr., a federal corrections officer and federal air marshal contended he was erroneously charge for military leave from 1989 to 2002 while in the National Guard. Court said a series of its recent rulings on military leave pay cases, including Hernandez, has signaled its view that the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act should be interpreted liberally to the benefit of guardsmen and reservists. This case resulted in more favorable military leave pay determinations by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board toward federal employees who are also in the National Guard or military reserve. “Will expand the time frame for which guard personnel can seek compensation and potentially make their case easier to prove” – Mathew B. Tully

Mathew B. Tully - Jackson v. United States - The United States Supreme Court vacated the prior judgment upholding defendant's sentence and remanded the matter to the court for reconsideration of defendant's sentence in light of Booker.

Mathew B. Tully - State of New York County Court: Orange County - People v Jones Decision and Order - Client's 9 year sentence and conviction vacated with Appeal victory.

Mathew B. Tully - Miller v. U.S. Postal Service - MSPB said reservists who worked at the Postal Service also eligible for back pay because of an erroneous leave policy.

Mathew B. Tully and Greg T. Rinckey - Collins v. Department of the Agriculture - Filed an appeal alleging that while employed by the Department of the Agriculture he was charged military leave even on non-work days which caused him to use annual, sick, or leave without pay to perform military duties from 1989 -2000. Based on USERRA, the agency was ordered to correct its records and to pay appellant the back pay that was owed.

Attorney Contact Info

DIRECT LINE - 518-640-3514

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Over the past 5 years I have utilized Mat’s firm. The quality of service goes above and beyond that of any other legal service that I have encountered. The most noticeable action on their part is that they really do …

“When a Judge refers to your attorney as the “world famous Mat Tully,” you know you have the right lawyer on your side. Mr. Tully has won several cases for me, with one being a landmark decision, and I watched …

“There is not a better choice out there! If it was not for Mr. Tully, I would have just been another Reservist fired and red flagged from ever getting another federal job, and for what, for just being a Patriot …

Purple Heart parking spot designated at MiSci in Schenectady SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A parking spot specifically to honor Purple Heart recipients was unveiled in Schenectady on Friday. The spot is located outside the MiSci Museum near the entrance and …

Cop vs. cop retaliation dredges up decades-old sex charges, lawsuit says by Anna Merriman OCEAN COUNTY — Maj. Keith Sandull spent the past 14 years climbing the ranks in one of the largest police departments in the state. In October …

Delaney Promoted to Helpdesk Manager at Tully Rinckey PLLC April 14, 2016 – Albany, N.Y. – Tully Rinckey PLLC is pleased to announce the promotion of Brandon Delaney to Helpdesk Manager. For the past five years, Delaney has served as …

Purple Heart parking spot designated at MiSci in Schenectady SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A parking spot specifically to honor Purple Heart recipients was unveiled in Schenectady on Friday. The spot is located outside the MiSci Museum near the entrance and …

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported the findings of a one-night survey taken last January that over 636,000 people were homeless nationwide, down 2.1 percent from a year earlier. Veteran homelessness declined even further since January …

By Mathew B. Tully Federal employees have long had to juggle work, home and financial responsibilities, along with parting goodbye to loved ones, when family members were called to active duty in the armed forces. Soon, changes to the Family …

Providing further proof that Tully Rinckey PLLC is not only growing in size but also in respect among other upstate attorneys, four firm partners have been named “Super Lawyers” by a major brand in lawyer ratings for consumers. Super Lawyers, …